


The Man on the Bus

by SevenCandlesticks



Series: Your Eyes and Mine [1]
Category: B.A.P, Secret (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Chance Meetings, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Part 1 of a two-shot, Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-09 23:59:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCandlesticks/pseuds/SevenCandlesticks
Summary: Hyoseong is discharged from the hospital a couple days after an eye operation, plagued with uncertainty if her sight will ever return. Her only comfort is a chance encounter with a kind man that sat next to her on the bus that day.





	The Man on the Bus

Hyoseong was sitting alone on the bus by the window as the sun was beginning to set. Unfortunately she could not visually intake the beauty of the sun’s fading rays as her eyes were covered with a blindfold.

She had just been released from the hospital after receiving an eye operation a couple days prior. Whether her eyesight would ever fully return was left up in the air, but it was certain for now she could not see anything.

Now she had to temporarily train herself to rely on her other senses, particularly hearing in this instance so she wouldn’t get lost on the route and miss her stop. It was a little difficult when things became more bustling and plenty of rude people had no qualms pushing and shoving.

After leaving one bus, she boarded another. This one was a little emptier and she sat on the third row to the right.

“Almost home.” she whispered to herself.

Her heart thumped a little harder than usual, due to the sheer anxiety of literally traversing _blindly_ all alone.

The bus came to an abrupt stop as a man whom barely missed the bus by a few seconds frantically waved to get the driver’s attention. Lucky for him, the driver obliged and let him on.

“Thank you,” he told him, panting from having suddenly sprinted. He slid his card and looked for a seat.

Hyoseong could hear the man’s footsteps come to a halt as soon as he reached the third row. The aura of his presence lingered in the air, indicating that he was standing right next to her. It made her feel a little nervous. She wasn’t sure she liked this heightened sensory.

Sliding in beside her, she heard the man’s voice. “Is it alright if I sit here?”

Swallowing, she simply nodded, continuing to face forward and telling herself she’s just a little on edge due to her impaired sight.

The rest of the ride was completely silent. Her previous anxiety about sitting next to a man she couldn’t see slowly faded as she reached her destination.

“This is my stop,” she said, facing toward him.

“Oh, uh…” he stood up, getting out of her way.

“Thank you.”

Feeling around, she kept herself propped up with the backing of the seats in front of her. She nearly fell forward, tripping on the man’s foot. The only reason she didn’t hit the ground was because the man had caught her.

“Are you OK?” he asked in a tone of concern. His voice was rather pleasant, she thought.

“Y-Yeah,” she nodded—a little shaken up, holding onto his shoulder for support.

“Let me help you off.”

He took her hand and guided her down the aisle and onto the steps, until her feet were safely placed on the sidewalk.

“Thank you so much. I’m not used to my condition right now. It’s a little hard for me…” she told him, feeling her eyes burn from getting a little misty eyed. Good thing he couldn’t see past her blindfold.

“Do you need any more assistance anywhere?” he offered, his tone a little anxious. Probably worried he was being too pushy.

“But what about you? Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“It’s fine, I can catch the next one.”

A small smile curved upon her lips. “Okay. My apartment shouldn’t be far from here.”

She linked arms with him and told him key location markers to look for as they slowly walked to her living establishment.

“I should be fine now.” she told him. “Thanks again. I’m really sorry, this must be so much out of your way.”

“No, it’s fine. Please stay safe.” he told her.

Nodding, she turned around and made her way inside the building, feeling for the Braille on the elevator number panels to reach her floor.

Her cheeks felt a little warm thinking about that man’s kindness. Too bad she couldn’t see him. Too bad she probably would never meet him again.

* * *

 

It’s been a week now.

Hyoseong had to go down to the hospital for a check up on her eyes. She surprised even herself how well she’s been able to manage in this state. It’s been difficult certainly, but not as difficult as she originally anticipated.

As she sat by herself by the window, the bus stopped to pick up quite a load of passengers. She could hear their footsteps trudge up the aisle and the sound of fabric sliding against the cushioned seating.

It’s amazing how detailed sound really was. It could tell you a lot about what’s happening, she learned. The only reason we miss it is because we’re not paying attention to it.

Placing both her hands over the seat backing of the row in front of her, she could sense someone take a seat next to her. It was a familiar presence somehow, and although she still couldn’t see, out of habit she turned her head toward the passenger anyway, immediately catching a whiff of their scent. It was comforting, somehow.

They must’ve turned to look at her too, because a pleasant, familiar voice spoke merely a few moments later after noticing her. “Hello again.”

It’s that kind man from last week. It had to be!

“Hello.” she replied.

“You’ve been alright by yourself? You seem to be getting around fine.”

“Yes. It’s still a little nerve-wracking, but I’m used to it now.”

It was quiet for a moment. If she could see him, she would have seen the faint smile on his lips fade away as his eyes became focused on her blindfold. “How did it happen?”

“You mean this?” she placed two of her fingers over the blindfold. “I don’t really know either. There’s a lot of complicated medical jargon, but if they didn’t operate, there would be no chance to save my eyes.”

Sighing sadly, she faced downward. “But there’s still no guarantee I’ll ever see again.”

“I’m… sorry to hear that.”

His voice sounded genuine, albeit a little awkward. She felt his hand gently place upon her shoulder before quickly pulling away, probably in embarrassment.

“Oh, this is my stop!” Hyoseong shot up after hearing the announcement over the speaker. She was in such a rush she almost tripped again.

“I think I better help you.” he said, slightly laughing.

“I’m not as helpless as I look.” she pouted.

He held her hand tightly. “No. But let me help you anyway.”

She had no objection to the gesture.

Once she felt her feet safely touch the ground, she bowed slightly and bid him farewell. “I’ll be fine. Don’t miss your stop on account of me!”

And once again, the two parted ways.

* * *

 

3 days passed since her first check up.

It went well. That is to say, her eyes weren’t infected or anything, but she still couldn’t see out of them, not to mention the severe sensitivity to light shining on it, so she had to proceed with the blindfold.

Though she had become accustomed to getting around, shopping was another story. She literally had to ask for the items she wished to buy, and while the store clerks seemed accommodating, she couldn’t help but feel like a burden to them—having to waste their precious time grabbing whatever she asked for.

Cooking was quite a task as well. She memorized the buttons on her microwave and was able to operate the rice cooker, but forget ever using the stove top or oven again. Being unable to read labels made it quite difficult to know what was what, so she had to buy a lot of items separately and place them into sections on her table in order for her to memorize what was what. Ready-made meals became her friend.

During that time, she had encountered that kind man on the bus a couple more times. Even though their conversations were short, she enjoyed them. She had become accustomed to his scent, so even if he were not to say anything at all, she would know he’s sitting next to her.

* * *

 

It has now been 2 and a half weeks since her operation.

She avoided going out at night if she could help it, but tonight wasn’t one of those nights. She stopped by the local convenient store to pick up some pre-packaged goods she didn’t have to cook or warm up. The trip felt even less pleasant since the store clerk seemed a bit annoyed having to get the items for her.

With her small bag of groceries in hand, she walked down the empty sidewalk, the only sounds being an occasional car passing by. At least, that’s how it started.

Her ears picked up on another pair of footsteps other than her own walking behind her. It made her feel uncomfortable. ‘ _Am I being follow?_ ’ she wondered.

As her pace quickened, so did the stranger from behind. She began walking faster and faster until she broke into a sprinting run. She couldn’t shake it; the sound kept pounding and pounding onward.

Hyoseong screamed the moment she ran into someone, whom reflexively grabbed hold of her.

“Hey, hey, calm down, what’s wrong?”

The moment she heard the familiar voice, she quit struggling. It was the kind man from the bus.

She buried her face in his chest and began weeping, clutching onto his shirt. “Someone was _following_ me.”

The man looked out ahead into the darkness but saw nobody was there.

Hyoseong continued weeping, periodically shuddering. She was completely shaken up. The man gently rubbed her back, speaking in a low but gentle tone, telling her everything was fine now.

The bus pulled up to the curb. Knowing how terrified she was, he asked, “Do you want to come on with me?”

“Is it the same route we always take?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Hyoseong clutched onto his arm as they stepped onto the bus. He paid for both their fares before taking a seat where they usually sit.

They were the only passengers on board, so the atmosphere was completely void of conversation. Hyoseong leaned her head against the man's arm, and whilst he didn't mind, in conjunction with her tight grip, he was beginning to lose circulation.

Squirming a bit, he pulled away cautiously, causing her to sit straight up and realize the personal space she had invaded. “I-I'm sorry...!”

He laughed slightly. “No, it's fine. My arm just went a bit numb, that's all...”

That only made her feel more embarrassed. Her cheeks warmed up, showing a visibly soft pink color.

“So uh... why were you out this late anyway?”

The question was merely to keep the silence at bay, what with just the two of them and the shocking ordeal the poor woman had to endure. Plus, he wasn't much for silence himself.

She held up her small plastic bag of snacks. “I was hungry.”

The lighting inside the bus wasn't very good, but he saw an array of cold sandwiches and pudding packs.

“Maybe you should've opted for delivery.”

She hung her head. “I wasn't in the mood for any type of take-out.”

“I see...” he sighed, looking ahead. “Oh, this is your stop, isn't it?”

The bus came to a stop and he took Hyoseong's hand, gently guiding her through the aisle and down the steps as he's done previously.

“You remember where I get off?” she smiled, impressed.

“Yeah, I've seen you step off here several times.”

She giggled gently to herself, unable to hide her bright smile. “You got off with me most of those times.”

“I've only walked you home once.” he pulled her a little closer to his side. “So you're going to have to give me directions again.”

The two started walking at a casual pace. He kept his eyes open for all of the key markers Hyoseong described until they finally reached her apartment complex. Once she felt her hands touch the glass entrance doors, she let go of his hand and turned around with a realization. “That was the last bus, wasn't it?”

“My stop wasn't a long ways from yours, I can walk if I have to.” he assured her.

“You sure?” Hyoseong stuck her hand in her purse, digging for her wallet. “You could call a taxi, I should have enough for the fare—”

The man tightly grabbed her wrist and she froze.

“It's fine, don't worry.” he slowly loosened his grip. “I just... wanted to make sure you were OK.”

Hyoseong was taken aback by those words. She didn't know how to respond to them. “Oh... well then...” she bent down, reaching for her bag and pulled out a sandwich, pudding cup, and plastic spoon. “Here.”

She held the two in front of him and became confused by the silence. “Hey, come on, they're good.” she took his hand and placed a sandwich in one and the pudding in the other. “Especially the pudding. It's chocolate~”

“Uhh, actually it's vanilla.” he told her.

“Huh?” Hyoseong pulled a cup for herself, ripped the foil, and licked the top—followed by a groan. “Stupid cashier got me the wrong flavor.”

“That's fine, I like vanilla anyway.”

“The sandwiches better not be tuna...” she grumbled.

“They are.”

“DAMN THAT WOMAN!”

The man bolstered with laughter, causing Hyoseong to pout. “What's so funny?”

“I was kidding. It's egg salad.”

“Tch... still the wrong one.”

Sighing, she picked up her bag and waved farewell as she went through the glass doors. The man stood to watch her make her way down the hall and into the elevator before taking off.

He held the two snack items he received and smiled warmly.

* * *

 

The next morning, Hyoseong rode the bus early for an appointment. The doctors told her that they really couldn't assess anything for another month or two regarding her sight, but they _did say_ her eyes were healing up well.

The appointment was short, straight, and to the point, so she had the whole day to do whatever she wanted. On her ride home, she was disappointed she didn't run into that man again.

On the following day, she had to go out further to the actual hospital she had gotten the operation at. The local one was referred to for check-ups, but her main surgeon wanted to see her progress himself.

The day felt painfully long, especially between excruciating wait periods. Not only that, she could’ve sworn she smelt that familiar scent from the kind man she’d always meet on the bus lingering in the air after someone brushed by her.

“Must be wishful thinking,” she told herself.

She missed him so much that day.

Nearly sunset, Hyoseong was finally released from the hospital after all their testing and going through documents. She boarded the bus and sat further back this time, leaning her head against the window.

* * *

 

The abrupt stop and electronic voice announcement caused Hyoseong to slowly wake up, yawning. She rubbed the side of her head that was leaned against the window because it felt a little sore.

“Hnnn… how long was I out for?” she whispered to herself.

“Don’t worry, you haven’t missed your stop.”

“Huh?”

With her brain now fully loaded, she was suddenly able to process her surroundings all at once; the sounds of passenger footsteps boarding and exiting, a brief waft of diesel fumes from the back exhaust—all of which she was filtering out to pinpoint what was within her personal space.

She felt a fabric draped over her body. It was thin and long, like a light trench coat, and it smelled like _him_ —the kind man she was most certain was sitting right next to her!

“What’s this?” she pulled at the collar of the coat that was wrapped around her body.

“I… saw you sleeping and thought you’d be more comfortable with a jacket.” he told her, a twinge of embarrassment in his voice.

Hearing that made her feel warm, much warmer than the jacket could ever provide. Hopefully he couldn’t see her blush.

Then a realization suddenly hit her.

“I have to switch buses!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t—“

“It’s our usual route, so you haven’t missed it.”

Hyoseong slowly exhaled, calming down. Wait a minute—

Feeling around, this bus was different. The bus she takes to the surgical hospital versus her everyday route had slight differences, such as the frames for the windows, the tops of the seating, even the fabric used for the cushions.

_They were already on their usual route._

“D-Did you carry me?”

“I….” he nodded, then remembered she couldn’t see him. “You would’ve missed your stop if I didn’t.”

Now her cheeks were burning a crimson rose color. “Y-You could’ve just woke me up…” she said in a strained voice, feeling embarrassed he might’ve heard her snoring or saw drool leak down the corner of her mouth.

“Sorry, it’s just… you look like you were really tired. I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep.”

“Hnnn… I must’ve been _so heavy.”_ she quietly whined.

“You’re not—“ he swallowed, feeling incredibly awkward now. “Anyway, I’m sorry. I should’ve just…”

“Thank you.” she whispered, clutching to the coat he wrapped around her. “It was considerate.”

Silence swept between them for a full, agonizing minute, until the man decided to ask her a question; one that has been burning in his mind for sometime now.

“Why are you always by yourself?”

The question was treading on more personal grounds, causing Hyoseong to squirm a little uncomfortably as her lips quivered with her response. “I'm alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just what it sounds like!”

Her tone carried an intensity of hurt and sorrow. She could feel the man beside her tense up due to her harsh inflection.

Sharply inhaling a breath, she exhaled the air slowly, trying to compose herself. “This ailment....” she brushed her fingers across her blindfold. “When I was a child, I had tears of blood. So I was rushed to the emergency room, but no one could figure out what was wrong. I was so scared. After that, the other kids wouldn't even come near me, because they thought I had some contagious disease that would melt their eyes out.”

Her body trembled, wanting to close her mouth, but she continued telling her story. She didn't understand why she was being so open to a stranger whom she couldn't even see, and yet, she was exposing her heart to him.

“I had a boyfriend....” she revealed. “Not for very long. He told me, before I had my operation....” she choked up, struggling to say it. “He said, 'You'll be virtually useless, having to rely on everybody else to get you things. Nobody wants that. Nobody wants...”

She paused, biting her lip as a means to keep all her pain and tears from spilling outward.

The bus stopped and an electronic voice announced their arrival to her usual stop.

“Thank you for being nice to me,” she told him, bowing slightly and making her way off on her own.

“Wait...” the man jumped off his seat and ran off the bus. “Hey, wait!”

Hyoseong stopped as she heard the man's voice echo behind her, footsteps approaching at a rapid rate. She turned around, realizing she was still wearing his coat. “Oh, I'm sorry. I should give this back to you.”

She pulled off one side, but he stopped her. “No, no that's fine, keep it.”

He took a step back, trying to muster the words. “Tomorrow, if you're not doing anything... I would... like to have coffee with you.”

Hyoseong stood there a moment, frozen, processing his invitation. “W-Well...if we're going to meet up, I need a way to connect with you.”

“Yeah, that's fine, let's exchange numbers.” he pulled up his phone, preparing a new contact.

“Mm...” she nodded, reaching for her phone and speaking into it. “Add contact.”

{ Please say the name of the new contact }

She held up the phone to his face. He stood there, confused for a moment, until the phone spoke again and she lightly shook the phone, mouthing the words _say something_.

{ Please say the name of the new contact }

He leaned forward. “Kim Himchan.”

{ Please say the number of this new contact }

He leaned a bit closer, speaking in a lowered voice the string of numbers of his cell phone so nobody else would pick it up.

Hyoseong pulled the phone back and smiled. “Thank you.”

He laughed slightly. “I kind of need yours now.”

“Oh, that's right...” she laughed in embarrassment.

“Just call me, and I'll save it into my contacts.”

“Okay.” she pulled her phone up. “Call _Kim Himchan.”_

Immediately, his phone rang and he smiled. “Number saved.”

“It's Hyoseong.”

“Hm?”

“Jun Hyoseong. You need my name for the contact, right?”

“You're right. You have a lovely name, Jun Hyoseong.”

That caused butterflies to dance inside her stomach and she couldn't hold back her smile.

The two departed, agreeing to meet each other in the morning in place of breakfast. He offered to walk her home, but she insisted she'd be fine on her own.

When she went to bed that night, she wrapped herself in the jacket he let her keep. “Himchan...” she pulled the jacket tighter around herself, gleeful at finally knowing his name. “Thank you for caring about me.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was an interesting challenge for me, writing this type of story, but I had fun. I feel like which B.A.P member was sort of obvious, though I am quite curious if any of you reading figured it out or assumed a different member? Either way, I am happy with the results of how this story is going so far. 
> 
> So, was sort of based on a prompt a Discord writing bot spit out, which was something along the lines of a blind character falls in love with a passenger's scent and tries to find them. With some tweaking, I came up with this story which I started when me and a friend were doing a sprint (see how many words we can write within a certain amount of times), so this is a culmination of a few of those challenges to progress it, and sometimes writing it leisurely.


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